BY JIM MISUNAS
Great Bend’s all-league DeShawnna Bryant has earned the respect of Hays High softball coach Abby Gillen. Bryant batted 5-for-5 and drew four intentional walks in the Panthers’ split with the Indians.
The Panthers beat nemesis pitcher Aubree Thomas with a dominating 13-3 victory. Hays won Thursday’s opener 11-8. Defending Western Athletic champion Hays (7-6, 6-1 WAC) maintains the WAC lead over Great Bend (13-5, 7-2 WAC).
Bryant helped end the Indians’ season 10-5 in last year’s 5A regional with seven RBIs when pitcher Thomas didn’t start on the mound.
The Panthers top five hitters batted .500 (20 for 40) and the bottom four batters hit a respectable .333 (9 for 27) in Thursday’s twin bill with a hitter’s wind blowing to right field.
After 19 games, Bryant is batting .531 (34 for 64); Kya Behr .535 (38 for 71); Camdyn Post .435 (27 for 62) and Paige Thexton .433 (26 for 60).
PANTHERS 13, HAYS 3 (G2) – Great Bend put the game away with a 7-run fifth inning off Thomas and reliever Riley Dreher. Behr drilled a 2-run homer off Thomas. Pinch hitter Adelle Smith delivered a clutch 2-run double. Bryant doubled twice as the Panthers ripped seven extra-base hits.
Bryant and Katherine Mazouch each had three hits. Thexton, Camdyn Post, Bryant and Mazouch each drove home a run.
Panther pitcher Braelyn Turner (5-3, 3.69 ERA) yielded three earned runs with four strikeouts. Indians Lakyn Zimmerman and Jaylee Summers drove home runs.
HAYS 11, PANTHERS 8 (G1) – Hays High’s 6-run fourth inning was keyed by two Panther errors and a missed opportunity for an out. The Indians scored on an error, a walk and wild pitch and gained an extra baserunner on a fielder’s choice. Dani Willeford drilled a 2-run double and drove home four runs. Lakyn Zimmerman drove home two runs with four hits.
The Indians parlayed a trio of walks into a 2-run sixth inning. Panther pitcher Chayla Prendergast (7-2, 4.99 ERA) was tagged for six earned runs.
Thexton batted 4-for-4. Bryant drilled a 2-run homer, and scored three runs before receiving a free pass her final two at-bats. Kamryn Koelsch singled three times and drove home a run. Denver Ringo homered.
Hays High 001 621 1 – 11 14 3
Great Bend 211 013 0 – 8 14 2
Dreher, Thomas (7) and Solida. Prendergast, McCauley (4), Turner (5) and Koelsch. W—Dreher, 4-3. L—Prendergast, 7-2. 2B—H—Willeford, Summers, Lakyn Zimmerman. HR—GB—Bryant, Ringo; H--Solida.
Hays High 000 201 – 3 6 4
Great Bend 110 272 – 13 16 0
Thomas, Dreher (5) and Solida. Turner and Koelsch. W—Turner, 5-3. L—Thomas, 2-2. 2B—GB—Bryant 2, Behr, Mazouch, Ringo, Smith; H--Dreher. HR—GB—Behr.
WAC SOFTBALL
Hays 6-1 7-6
Great Bend 7-2 14-5
Garden City 0-1 3-6
Liberal 0-3 4-9
Dodge City 0-6 2-12
THURSDAY—Hays 11-3, Great Bend 8-13; Liberal at Garden City (2); Salina Central 13-20, Dodge City 2-2
HAYS HIGH (6-1, 7-6)—LL Valley Center 1-13, 5-11; WWW Dodge City 4-2, 10-4, 13-3; W Garden City 7-4; L Derby 2-14; W Wichita NW 5-2; L Eisenhower 2-3, L Maize South 1-13; W Great Bend 3-1; WL Great Bend 11-8, 3-13; 4-22 at Garden City; 4-25 at Hays TMP; 4-26 at Salina Central; 4-30 Liberal (2); 5-2 at Liberal (1); 5-7 Salina South, Andover Central; 5-9 at Manhattan, Salina South
GREAT BEND (7-2, 14-5)—WW Pratt 5-3, 5-1; WW Hutchinson 17-5, 14-4; W McPherson 8-6; L Manhattan 1-4; WWW Liberal 16-2, 15-4, 15-0; WW Dodge City 15-3, 8-0; W Dodge City 4-1; L Goddard Eisenhower 4-9, L Maize South 5-10; W Derby 9-8, W Wichita NW 13-3; L Hays 1-3; WL Hays 13-3, 8-11; 4-23 at Garden City (1); 4-25 Garden City (2); 5-7 Hays TMP
GARDEN CITY (0-1, 3-6)—WW Wichita North 24-4, 17-2; WL Goodland 8-0, 4-9; L Hays 4-7; L Wichita NW 4-5; L Derby 1-14; L Eisenhower 1-2 L Maize South 0-13; 4-16 at Liberal (1); 4-18 Liberal (2); 4-22 Hays High; 4-23 Great Bend (1); 4-25 at Great Bend (2); 4-26 Wichita Southeast; 4-30 Dodge City (2); 5-2 Dodge City (1); 5-3 at Scott City; 5-9 at Topeka
LIBERAL (0-3, 4-9)—WW Bucklin 11-1, 14-6; L Hesston 0-1; L Kingman 5-12; LLL Great Bend 2-16, 4-15, 0-15; WW Wichita North 5-0, 25-3; LL Maize 0-11, McPherson 0-14; LL Hugoton 1-6, 3-4; 4-16 Garden City (1); 4-18 at Garden City (2); 4-25 at Cimarron; 4-30 at Hays (2); 5-2 Hays (1); 5-7 at Dodge City (1); 5-9 Dodge City (2)
DODGE CITY (0-6, 2-12)—WW Wichita South 16-0, 22-2; LLL Hays 2-4, 4-10, 3-13, LLL Great Bend 3-15, 0-8, 1-4; L Goddard Eisenhower 0-10; L Maize South 0-6; L Derby 0-14, L Wichita Northwest 0-7; LL Salina Central 2-13, 2-20; 4-19 at Hays TMP; 4-23 Pratt; 4-25 at Wichita Heights; 4-30 Garden City (2); 5-2 Garden City (1); 5-7 Liberal (1); 5-9 at Liberal (2)
